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Monthly Archives: May 2017

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There are many reasons to love Instagram, and for us, finding food inspiration is at the top of the list. But taking an amazing food photo isn’t as easy as it looks. Whether you’re sharing your latest recipe creation or trying to spread the word on a new restaurant in town, posting a gorgeous image is essential.

If you want to know exactly how to take like-worthy Instagram food photos, keep reading. These food photography tips are sure to get your posts more love.

There’s nothing appetizing about a dark, grainy food pic. To set the stage for the best shot, find a source of natural light by setting up by a window or taking things outdoors. If the day is too bright, place a sheer curtain over the window, or find some shade to diffuse the light.

Whenever possible, steer clear of artificial light. Try to take food pics during daylight hours and avoid using the flash at all costs.

Get thoughtful about set up

After lighting, the composition is the next important factor in capturing a mouth-watering image. Play around with utensil placement, the dish’s ingredients, or anything else you want to include in the shot. You can also add flowers and pretty linens in the frame to bring food photos to life. Don’t be afraid to get messy either— take a bite of the cookie, leave a forkful of pasta on a plate and leave that sprinkling of crumbs on the plate. These small, messy details can sometimes take your food photo to the next level.

Ask for help

Turn your dining companions into your partners in crime. Have them hold or display their drinks while you take the shot for added movement.

Don’t have enough light? Ask friends to use their iPhone light to illuminate the dish so you can turn your flash off.

Use a camera instead of your iPhone

If you’re serious about elevating your food photography, you may want to think about using a camera instead of your iPhone for Instagram. Most professional food bloggers fill their feed with images taken with a digital camera. The manual settings give you more control over lighting. Plus, you’ll end up with a high-res image.

But keep in mind, you’ll need to upload the photo to your computer and email it to yourself in order to post on Instagram.

ScanMyPhotos Photography Tutorial Series: How To Use Light To Enhance Your Pictures

1. Explore the light. Learn to read where the light is coming from by looking at shadows – notice if the shadows are hard-edged or soft-edged. A general rule for beautiful images is to plan your photo shoot for early morning or late afternoon light because softer shadows equate to less contrast in your scene and more flattering light for your subject. If you must shoot images at high noon, move your subject under the shade of a tree or building.

3. Take beautiful pictures in the middle of a bright, sunny day by placing your subject in a shaded area near direct sunlight, for example, an open doorway or under the shade of a building or tree.

4. Use the rules of composition. The rule of thirds can help you create more compelling photographs. Envision a tic-tac-toe board on your viewfinder and place something of interest at one or more of these intersections.

5. Choose an interesting frame for your image, for example, an arched trellis, a unique doorway, or overhanging tree branch.

6. Think about using color to create a compelling image. From vibrant contrasts of primary colors to the Zenlike mood of harmonious blues and greens, color can determine the emotional content of a photograph.

7. Control the light. Create a more attractive image by bouncing or diffusing the available light. Bouncing light brightens up faces, gets rid of shadows and creates a catch-light in your subject’s eyes. Diffusing the light softens harsh light falling upon your subject. You can buy a reflector or diffuser at a camera store, but you can also use common household items. Aluminum foil wrapped around a baking sheet, a car dashboard reflector, or a white foam core board can be used to reflect light. Translucent fabric, sheer shower curtains, or plastic bags can be used to diffuse the light.

8. Mix it up! Tell a story with your images by varying the distance and angle from your subject. Consider a wide-angle shot of an area, a mid-range shot, and a detailed close-up to give your viewer an informed perspective.

9. Give yourself ROOM to ZOOM. To eliminate distracting elements and provide a flattering perspective – stand back and give yourself room to zoom into your subject and fill the frame.

10. Consider the direction of the light falling upon your subject. Front light can look flat but diminishes lumps, bumps, and wrinkles. Sidelight creates dimension and form. Backlight can create a silhouette or a rim of light around your subject. Top light isn’t flattering and should be avoided.

As a loved one ages and the need to downsize the family home becomes apparent, it’s heartbreaking for family members to try to figure out what to do. Our loved ones’ homes are often filled with precious memories and items that need to be handled accordingly.

Yet, she admitted in her recent article that she was remiss to address what she did with her parent’s boxes of photos. After talking Diana Uricchio, owner of OXO Digital Organizing, Jameson came up with a list of digital organization tips that will help any photo preservation project go smoothly.

We’ve spent the past 26 years helping our customers preserve tens of millions of happy memories, milestones, achievements, and events—all of which have incredible stories behind each and every photo.

And now we’re eager to share these stories with you.

In this week’s episode, one ScanMyPhotos customer faced a daunting task so she could honor her late sister’s legacy.

Preview: Old print photos usually end up in an unorganized pile inside a box or plastic bin. While this storing method is not recommended, it can certainly be easier to prep these photos for a scanning project than pulling apart framed pictures and praying the original copy doesn’t stick to the glass.

There’s nothing like crossing items off your to-do list. The sweet feeling of accomplishment that comes when all the boxes are checked is incredibly liberating.

To help you get there, the editors atReal Simple have dedicated this June to getting things done, challenging readers to share their completed projects on social with #GetItDone. They even mentioned ScanMyPhotos on page 127 in the June issue and offered some great photo organizing tips.

The gang here at ScanMyPhotos is also eager to help you cross those photo projects off your list! So, if you’re ready to enjoy the summer by getting those lingering tasks completed, check out these five photo projects that you’ll want to take care of this June.